CHAPTER FOUR
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Nothing Townes said could convince Shailyn to believe he could protect her, because the truth of the matter was that he couldn’t get inside Moss’ mind. Oh, he could definitely try to figure out the likely avenues of approach, but nothing was ever a hundred percent guaranteed…as their shared past had certainly shown them.
“You know firsthand I can’t promise you anything, but I now know who we’re dealing with.” Every law enforcement agency had traditionally underestimated their opponent back when Moss had first come onto their radar. No one had ever considered from the start that they’d be dealing with such a highly intelligent psychopath. He was a cunning animal who had the unique ability to blend in with the shadows and virtually disappear in plain sight. “I’ve taken precautions that I’ve designed to benefit us while serving as a constant detriment to Moss. This is our chance, Shailyn. I’m afraid if we don’t take the initiative at this late stage, there won’t be another opportunity to force Moss to react to our decisions instead of his.”
Townes had purposefully acquired open landscaped property in Florida with every intention of creating her a fortress that was nearly impenetrable to a clandestine attack by a small party or even a single assailant. The security system in place was similar to those of some large corporate retreats like the National Conference Center in Leesburg, Virginia or the President’s retreat at Camp David. He wasn’t being generous in that comparison, either.
He’d also hired a technological specialist who was proficient with specialized anti-intrusion sensors and integrated security hardware. The brilliant man could maintain and service the software needed to sustain the network of multilayered equipment endlessly scanning the grounds and skies for anything moving in the vicinity of the compound.
The connections Townes had cultivated over the years had been made with one goal in mind, and that was to guarantee Shailyn Doyle’s future if they needed to fall back to the Alamo. He’d done a lot of things in his life that he regretted, but none more so than allowing her to suffer unspoken amounts of pain at the hands of a monstrous genius devoid of empathy. It was only fair that she know his end game, but not right now and definitely not here.
“And what is this chance you speak of, Townes?” Shailyn glanced past him in apprehension to where his team was still gathered in the small field office. “Do you really think that Moss is foolish enough to try and simply abduct me in broad daylight with several law enforcement agencies watching my every move? Have you designed a new mousetrap?”
“No.” Townes purposefully turned sideways, allowing her an unobstructed view of the path he needed her to take. “But if you’ll give me and my team a chance to explain, you’ll see that we have the ability to end this.”
Townes hadn’t realized his muscles had been so taut until she took a tentative step forward. He honestly wasn’t sure what he would have done had she turned and walked toward the elevator at the end of the hall. The need to end this hell she’d been living in was what had gotten him out of bed each morning. She’d been his sole focus for years, and that wasn’t about to change anytime soon. He was now committed to this course of action.
Shailyn finally came to a stop in front of him, tilting her head back and studying him with those emerald green eyes of hers. She had a dusting of freckles over the bridge of her nose that he’d found so attractive when they’d first met. The flush on her cheeks earlier had faded though, leaving only the pale truth behind.
When had she last slept a full night?
He resisted the urge to ask her anything personal. Now wasn’t the time, and he wasn’t sure he was ready for those specific answers.
“You keep saying we.” Shailyn gently licked her lips before inquiring about recent events Sturridge had shared with her. “Has this hunt become personal again?”
Townes didn’t bother to reply that this manhunt had always been personal. That much should have been obvious to her. He wouldn’t withhold information from her, though. He involuntarily rested his hand gently on her lower back as he guided her down the hall.
“Moss also targeted the sister of one of my team members.” Townes thought back to when Camryn Novak had bruises around her neck. She was also involved with Sawyer, which Moss had used to his advantage. She’d barely made it out of that hotel room alive as a result of several stupid mistakes and just a bit of luck. So yes, it wasn’t a stretch to assume that the members of SSI had taken that as a direct threat to hearth and home. “He’s coming at this puzzle from every angle until he hits pay dirt.”
“You mean until he finds and kills me.”
Townes shifted his body so that he was between Shailyn and the door. It was selfish of him really, but he needed to be able to truly see her without being judged by the men in the other room. He needed to confirm for himself that he’d done the right thing by staying far away from her throughout the years.
“Don’t box me in,” Shailyn warned softly as she stared at the firearm in his holster before stepping back. It was the first time she refused to meet his gaze. “There’s no need to rehash the decisions we made in the past.”
“You mentioned something that needs to be ironed out before we continue this, because I don’t want there to be any misunderstandings between us.”
Townes was well aware of how he looked to others outside of the military and this world he’d created for himself. He didn’t fit into the stereotypical mold of a corporate security company owner and operator. Honestly, he liked it that way. As an executive appointee to Special Chief Deputy U.S. Marshal, he had a wide reach with few limitations. But nothing excused what he now understood to be the proverbial monkey wrench in the works. It was something they would both need to deal with in their own way, but that would have to be at a later date and time.
“It wasn’t my choice to deny your request to see me, Shailyn.” Townes didn’t want to have this conversation here, but this subject needed to be touched on so that she understood he wasn’t doing this out of some sense of guilt. It was so much more. “I honored your father’s wishes not to see you after the night I brought you to the hospital, but he was right. It was better that way. I would have exposed you to more damage.”
Townes pulled open the heavy door before she could reply, because there was nothing she could say that would change the past or his decision. Carter Doyle had done what he thought best for his daughter, and he’d been right in doing so. She most likely would have refused to go into WITSEC, or Townes might very well have offered to go into the program with her. Neither would have worked out very well at the time.
He sure as hell wouldn’t be in the position he was in now to eliminate Shepherd Moss as a threat.
As it was, Moss would be back in custody shortly…or dead.
The latter was preferable, but Townes had men waiting for him in the conference room to consider before breaking any laws that would affect their futures as well as his.
“It seems we have a lot to talk about then,” Shailyn murmured, not having a choice but to follow his lead since all eyes were tracking their progress across the open-spaced office. He was surprised when she caught hold of his hand. “I need to understand just one thing first.”
Townes didn’t want to do this here, so he took another step forward in hopes to guide her along without further delay. She apparently had other plans.
“Would you have stood next to me during that trial had my father not asked you to stay away?”
Townes should have given her any answer but the truth. Their past didn’t matter to anyone but them. They were fighting for her future, which didn’t consist of just another name in another town, with another life.
“Yes.”
He gently removed his hand and waited for her to precede him into the conference room. Sawyer stood and indicated that Shailyn should take a seat toward the front of the room where Townes would be addressing the team, as well as Agent Gordon and Deputy U.S. Marshal Sturridge.
“Let’s get the introductions out the way, shall we?” Townes was now in his element of strictly business. Any reservations he had that this was the right decision faded away now that Shailyn was surrounded by the most qualified and dangerous men in the business. He pushed aside all emotion as he got down to the task at hand. “I’m sure you remember Agent Gordon.”
Shailyn tentatively smiled in acknowledgement, her inquisitive gaze landing on the other men. Time was of the essence, so names would have to do for now.
“To your left is Sawyer Madison, Keane Sanderson, and Royce Haverton. Across from you is Coen Flynn, and on the screen in front of us is Brody Novak. These men round out SSI and will be your personal protection detail from this point forward until Moss is captured. Each man is a highly trained, dedicated professional.”
“And what is your plan to capture Moss?” Shailyn asked, turning the chair with her knee-high black boot. She hadn’t bothered to remove her long wool coat, which was for the best, considering they would be leaving this building in under five minutes. “Are you leaking my whereabouts to the press or just the junkie grapevine?”
“No.” Townes leaned forward and pressed his palms onto the hardwood surface of the table in determination. What he was about to propose wasn’t up for debate. The details had been carefully laid out and it was now time to pull the trigger. “As of ten minutes ago, your death was reported on national television. Shailyn Doyle is dead.”